Combined suction bailer and swab



Sept. 21, 1954 J. o. MACK COMBINED SUCTION BAILER AND SWAB Filed Nov. 10, 1950 1;, V f ,Lxnnlv/Illlllllfl Illia..

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ATTORN E Y lllllllal! Patented Sept. 21, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined suction bailer and swab for use in oil Wells, and more particularly to a combination device for carrying out hailing and swabbng operations in a well whereby either hailing or swabbing may be accomplished without removing the apparatus from the well, or otherwise interrupting the Work on the well.

The invention has particular application in connection with oil wells in which heavy material, such as paraffin, or other constituents of high viscosity have been deposited in the formation from which the oil is being withdrawn, and in and around the casing in the vicinity of the well screen which is customarily employed. Under these conditions the amount of oil obtained may be greatly reduced, or entirely stopped. When the condition just described obtains, it becomes necessary to treat the well to remove the clogging deposits in order to reestablish the flow of oil therefrom, and such treatment customarily takes the form of the introduction of treating fluid under pressure into the well at the point where the clogging material is located. Such fluid is usually forced into the well and passes through the screen into the surrounding formation, thus dissolving the clogging material and freeing the screen, so that oil may again iiow through the same.

it is necessary when such treatment is employed to withdraw the treating fluid and the dissolved clogging material from the Well immediately subsequent to the treatment, since redepositing of the material is likely to occur on standing. Moreover, the loosening or dissolving of the clogging material may result in a sudden increase in pressure in the well, so that the treating fluid and oil from the formation may iiow outwardly from the casing, thus causing a substantial loss of treating fluid, before the treatment of the well is completed.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of well treating apparatus, including a combination suction bailer and swab which may be used for independently carrying out either hailing or swabbing operations in a well under treatment.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the kind referred to which is so constructed that fluid in the well may flow freely upwardly, when the well is producing under pressure, in the event that such pressure develops suddenly during the treatment of the well.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a combination bailer and swabbing apparatus ior use in treating wells in the manner referred to, whereby the treating fluid may be quickly and effectively removed from the zone of treatment on completion of the treating operation, in order to reestablish the production of oil from the surrounding formation,

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a combination suction bailer and swab of simple design and rugged construction, capable of long service and withstanding the cxtreme conditions of wear to which such apparatus is customarily subjected.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, constituting a specification of the same, when taken in connection with the annexed drawing, wherein- Figure l is a vertical cross-sectional View of an oil well, showing the combination suction bailer and swab in position therein for carrying out a well treating operation;

Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure l, showing the upper portion of the combined suction bailer and swab;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in prospection, on a somewhat enlarged scale, showing the arrangement of the packing element and valve enployed with the plunger of the bailer.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the numeral Hl indicates a casing located in the bore oi an oil well or the like, and having a portion adjacent its lower end provided with perforations l2 forming a well screen at the lower end of the casing. The lower end of the casing may be provided with an external shouldered portion I4, and above this shouldered portion, a wire i6 or the like may be wound about the casing over the area which is furnished with the perforations i2, to complete the structure of the well screen. The casing may also be internally threaded at its lower end, as at Hl, for a purpose later to be made apparent.

Within the casing I0 and spaced therefrom there is an inner string of tubing 20, which carries a valve seat member 22 secured to its lower end, the valve seat member being externally threaded and secured within the threaded portion I8 of the lower end of the casing. Above its lower end and opposite the well screen the inner tubing 2B is provided with a perforated portion having suitable openings 24 opposite the openings l2 of the well screen, for the entrance of fluid into the inner tubing. The inner tubing is preferably formed with inter-fitting joints, such as those indicated at 26, whereby the interior and exterior of the tubing forms continuous smooth cylindrical surfaces. The valve seat member 22 may be conveniently provided with valve ports 28 extending therethrough, and a downwardly opening valve 3U is positioned beneath the valve seat member, covering the ports 28 and urged into closed position by a coil spring 32, which is supported on a bolt 34 attached to the valve seat member. Downwardly facing packing `elements 3B are carried by the inner tubing 20, above the well screen, and these packing elements have sealing contact with the inner tubing and the casing.

Above the packing elements 36 there are the check valve members 38, which are preferably in the form of resilient packing elements of the same general type as those indicated at 3E. The packing elements of the check valve members 38 have openings d at spaced intervals, as seen in Figure 1, and check valves of the ball type are disposed in closing relation in these openings.

The check valve members 3S may be of the same type as illustrated in Figure e, described in detail hereinafter.

Within the inner tubing 20 and closely fitting the inside of the same there is a bailer barrel 42, which is vertically movable in the inner tubing. This barrel is made up of tubular sections, having inter-fitting joints, such as indicated at dd, so that the barrel has substantially continuous inner and outer cylindrical surfaces. A valve seat member 46 is threadably connected to the lower end of the barrel 42, which member has a port 48 therein, closed by a suitable valve, such as the flap valve 53, which is adapted to open upwardly and is urged into closed position by a resilient member 52 or other suitable means.

At its Lipper end, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawing the barrel 42 has a member 51% attached thereto, which member may take the form of a spider, or plate having a plurality of openings F for the free passage of fluid therethrough. The spider-like member 54 also has a central opening 58 therethrough, through which a piston rod or polish rod 5B extends into the barrel, 'this rod carrying at its inner end a plunger in the form of a piston, adapted for longitudinal reciprocation in the barrel. At its upper end, the piston rod is conveniently attached to an operating cable 64, or the like, which may pass through a hole 66 in the rod, and whereby the rod may be reciprocated to move the piston E2 in the barrel.

rThe construction of the piston E2 is best seen in Figure 4 of the drawing, wherein the plunger is shown as having a ring-like body G8, preferably formed of metal, which is internally threaded, tor attachment to the rod 50 by means oi the tapered member lll, which may be welded or otherwise secured about the shaft 5S. The body member G8 has an upwardly facing V-shaped groove 'l2 therein, into which a packing member of Flexible resilient material such as rubber' is disposed. The packing member and the body et are formed with their outer diameters somewhat less than the internal diameter of the barrel @2, in order that huid may pass freely between the piston and the barrel, upon downward movenient of the piston in the barrel. Packing member 'i4 is of the lip type, formed with inner and outer annular lips lli and 18, respectively, which are adapted to be forced into sealing engagement with the rod 6B and the barrel 42, by uid pressure, when the piston is moved upwardly in the barrel.

At spaced intervals about the body member 68 longitudinal holes are provided therethrough. which are internally threaded as indicated at 80, and tubular elements 82 are threaded into these holes, which elements pass through the body members and the packing element 14. At their inner ends the tubular elements 82 are externally threaded to receive the valve cages 84, which are disposed inside of the upwardly opening groove 85 of the packing element. Within the cages 34 are the ball valves 86, seated on the upper ends of the tubular elements 82, and adapted to close the same against downward ow of fluid through the piston.

In making use of the combined suction bailer and swab as described aboveI the inner tubing 2U may first be positioned in the casing I0, so that the perfor-ations 24 therein are opposite the perforation I2 of the casing, and the bailer barrel and piston arrangement may be lowered through the inner tubing by means of the cable EM. As employed in the manner seen in Figure 1 of the drawing, the piston may then be drawn upwardly in the barrel by operation of the cable 64, resulting in drawing fluid from the formation through the perforations I2 of the casing and the perforations I2 of the inner tubing, and into the barrel through the port 48. The upward movement of the piston results in the production of a suction which opens the valve 50 and draws the flu-id into the barrel` Upon subsequent downward movement of the piston in the barrel, the valve 53 will be closed and the fluid may pass upwardly through the tubular elements t2 of the piston, as well as passing between the piston and the barrel, until the piston reaches the bottom of the barrel. The plunger may then be again drawn upwardly in the barrel, resulting in forcing the huid above the piston out through the openings 56 at the upper end of the barrel into the inner tubing 2i). Repeated reciprocation of the piston thus results in pumping the iuid out of the well through the inner tubing 2U.

In case it is desired to carry out a swabbing operation with the apparatus, the piston is pulled upwardly in the barrel until it engages the spider member 54, whereupon further upward movenient will result in drawing the entire bailer barrel upwardly in the inner tubing 223. Because of the close t between the barrel 42 and the inner tubing 20. further upward movement of the bailer will result in a swabbing action, which can be carried to any desired extent, to secure 'the how of iiuid from the formation into the inner tubing 2li.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides combined suction bailer and swab apparatus or' simple design and rugged construction, having few operating parts, and which may effectively be used for either bailing or swabbing operations may be desired, without alteration of the apparatus, or the necessity for removal of the apparatus from the well when changing from one type of operation to another.

While the invention has been disclosed in connection with a specific embodiment of the same, it will be understood that this is intended by way of illustration only, and many changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a combined suction bailer and swab for use in oil wells, a barrel having inner and outer substantially continuous cylindrical surfaces and adapted to nt closely in a tubing string having a smooth cylindrical inner surface with the inner surface of the string in sliding contact with the outer surface of said barrel, said barrel being open at the top, upwardly opening valve means closing the bottom of the barrel, a piston in and spaced from the barrel, expansible means carried by the piston and expandible into sealing contact with the barrel to close the space between the piston and the barrel upon upward movement of the piston against downward pressure of uid in the barrel, said piston having an opening therethrough and upwardly opening valve means closing the opening, and means on the barrel engageable with the piston when the piston reaches the upper limit of its movement relative to the barrel to cause the barrel to move upwardly in the tubing with the piston, and barrel being freely movable downwardly in the tubing upon downward movement of the piston.

2. In a combined suction bailer` and swab for use in oil wells, a barrel having inner and outer substantially continuous cylindrical surfaces and adapted to t closely in a tubing having a smooth cylindrical inner surface with the outer surface of the barrel in sliding contact with the inner surface of the string, said barrel being open at the top, an upwardly opening valve closing the bottom of the barrel, a piston in and spaced from the barrel. said piston having an opening therethrough, upwardly opening valve means closing the opening, expansible packing means carried by the piston and including a resilient lip portion adapted to seal the space between the piston and the barrel upon movement of the piston upwardly against the pressure of fluid in the barrel, a piston rod connected to the piston and extending beyond the upper end of the barrel, means by the barrel and engageable by the piston to cause the barrel to move upwardly with the piston when the piston reaches the upper limit of its movement relative to the barrel, said barrel being freely movable downwardly under the iniiuence of gravity upon downward movement of the piston.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 215,951 May May 27, 1879 433,019 Morris July 29, 1890 456,128 Darling July 14, 1891 876,622 Colldeweih Jan. 14, 1908 916,777 Perry Mar. 30, 1909 940,545 McGregor Nov. 16, 1909 1,586,482` Sprague May 25, 1926 1,698,444 Lybyer Jan. 8, 1929 1,783,615 Gunn Dec. 2, 1930 1,943,034 Myers Jan. 9, 1934 2,023,771 Ringius Dec. 10, 1935 2,187,481 Baker et al Jan. 16, 1940 2,215,164 Shupe Sept. 17, 1940 2,360,577 Parrish Oct. 17, 1944 

